Beyond the Moonpool
by Ash of greenfire
Summary: Jaypaw jumps into one of Willowpaw's dreams, only to reveal a prophecy. Will Jaypaw, Willowpaw, and Kestrelpaw, the medicine cat apprentices, be able to make the journey?PoppyJay or WillowJay? You decide Chapter Five: Willowpaw and Jaypaw: Alone?
1. A Dream?

This is a story I came up with out of curiosity about Kestrelpaw, the Windclan medicine cat apprentice. I also am a fan of Willowpaw X Jaypaw and Poppypaw X Jaypaw, so we'll see how that goes. Bet you can't guess the plot yet!

Disclaimer:

Yes, I own warriors, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Pluto, and your brain!

(And if you don't already know that that isn't true, I disown your brain.)

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Jaypaw crouched low to the ground as he entered the dream. His eyes were focused on the young cat wandering in the forest, her tabby pelt shining in the light of the dream. He watched her intently. Willowpaw's eyes brightened as she saw the light blue bird fly toward her. She meowed it a greeting, knowing instinctively to bow her head.

The blue bird nodded to her.

"Leafpool told me about you."

_Leafpool?_ He blinked. _Leafpool's my mentor, why didn't Mothwing tell you?_ He pushed the thought aside as he listened to the rest of the conversation. The bird landed on the branch of a pine.

"You're the bird from my clan's prophecy," Willowpaw stared admiringly at the bird, "why choose me?"

"You are not the only chosen one." The bird stated.

"What are we to do?" she asked him, "the lake is drying up, but what can cats do about that?"

Jaypaw sighed. This conversation was going nowhere.

"You must find the others tonight; tell them to meet you at sunrise." He watched the bird as he flew off the branch.

"Wait! Tell me who they are! How will I find them tonight?" Her tail wagged desperately as she followed the bird. The bird simply flew away.

Jaypaw backed out of her dream quickly, before she noticed him. _Prophecy? Others? Tonight?_ His eyes opened quickly, breathing hard. Jaypaw looked to his side, where Kestrelpaw slept. His senses picked up another scent, and as he turned around, he came face to face with Willowpaw.

"You. You were in my dream…" Willowpaw said, tilting her head to the side, "Why?"

Jaypaw was frozen in his tracks. He'd never been this close to Willowpaw, and she hadn't ever acted this way around him.

"H-how did you know I was there?" He asked, his ice blue eyes giving her a blank stare.

"Simple, I saw you." She stated, "You left before I could say anything."

Mothwing rose from her sleep. Soon, all the medicine cats had woken up.

As the group walked back down the hill, Willowpaw and Jaypaw avoided each other's glances. Without talking, the tree medicine cat apprentices came to their stopping points. The four medicine cats and their apprentices left for their camps, Jaypaw and Kestrelpaw were pelt to pelt, Willowpaw was close behind. Jaypaw turned to Willowpaw,

"Meet me at the island, tomorrow at sunrise." He turned to Kestrelpaw, who looked incredibly surprised that he was even talking to Willowpaw, let alone inviting her somewhere. "Kestrelpaw, you should come too, you could be needed."

Willowpaw tensed up. "What are we going to do out there?" She asked.

Jaypaw shrugged. "You tell me, it's your dream."

"Fine then, agreed."

"Yeah! Lets go!"

"Alright. See you guys there."

And with that, the three apprentices marched to their camps, waiting for the next day to arrive.

SQUEE! Four Reviews till' the next chapter!


	2. The Island

Second chapter! I put Poppypaw in here with Breezepaw for kicks. YAY!

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Jaypaw padded down the hill, his nose sniffing the scents as he went by. He noticed the Riverclan scent, and carefully made his way to the border.

"Jaypaw!" the hiss of a cat was heard. He turned around to feel a lick on the forehead.

"Where are you going?"

He stared blankly at Poppypaw with his cool blue eyes.

"Somewhere." He replied, turning around and marching toward Riverclan.

"Why are you heading towards Riverclan? They could rip you to shreds!"

"I'm a medicine cat; I get in, no questions asked." He retorted, tired of her worrying about him.

"I'll come with you, just in case." He stared back at her, His eyes closed.

"You can't come." He said.

Poppypaw gave him a sideways glance. "Medicine cat business? Are you going to see Willowpaw?"

He sighed. "Yes, I am going to see Willowpaw." He told her.

"What about Mothwing? Are you going to see her?" Poppypaw asked.

Jaypaw shook his head. "So it's just going to be you and Willowpaw, ALONE?" Her eyes shined with mischief. His ears turned hot with embarrassment.

"No," he said, "you're coming too."

Poppypaw jumped with joy. She pressed her muzzle to Jaypaw's head, purring. The two apprentices walked over the border into Riverclan. Just before reaching the center of the camp, he met up with Willowpaw, who was shocked to see Poppypaw along with Jaypaw.

"Poppypaw? What are you doing here?" Willowpaw asked, her eyes not leaving Poppypaw's face.

"Jaypaw invited me" She said, her glance shifted to Jaypaw. Jaypaw looked blankly at the ground, his blindness preventing him from seeing anything.

Kestrelpaw appeared, Breezepaw at his heels. Both apprentices stopped after meeting up with Willowpaw.

"Breezepaw?" Willowpaw asked Kestrelpaw.

"I'm not aloud to leave camp without another warrior" Kestrelpaw said, "or in this case, a kit." Breezepaw gave Kestrelpaw a warning glance. Willowpaw flicked her tail, and the group followed her to the island, which was now part of the mainland, because the lake was drying up. Poppypaw pushed her flank against Jaypaw's, Willowpaw walked behind them, with Breezepaw in the back. Kestrelpaw led the way. Jaypaw crouched low to the ground.

"Someone's here." The group looked back to see a gray figure.

"Stormfur!" Poppypaw shouted, her tail brushing the ground, "what are you doing here?"

The gray furred warrior padded to greet them, his eyes on Jaypaw.

"I was told to come here, in a dream." His eyes met Willowpaw's, "Do I get to be part of another prophecy?

YES! Another chapter will be put up after four reviews!


	3. The Moonpool

Ok, this was definitely a good chapter. Yep. So please review. I need to decide if it's going to be a PoppyJay or a WillowJay. I'm really liking Kestrelpaw, well, My version of Kestrelpaw. Anyway, R & R!

Willowpaw put one paw in front of the other, walking up the hill to the Moonpool. She had been there so many times; her paws knew their way up the hill. She looked back to Jaypaw, who had Poppypaw at his side, and sighed to herself. Was Jaypaw going to keep his vow to his clan? Would he stay a medicine cat? She didn't know him well enough to tell. Stormfur was talking with Kestrelpaw, who was clearly interested in what he had to say. Breezepaw was out front, trying to show off how great he was.

"Look! Over there!" Breezepaw shouted his tail up in alert. Poppypaw looked over to the deep blue pool. Her eyes were fixed onto the ground next to it. "I've been here before." She muttered. She turned to look at Jaypaw.

"You were here too," She said, "You walked with me, in my dreams."

Jaypaw put his tail on her shoulder.

"You had almost died, the entire clan was worried," He paused, "your breath had slowed, we both fell asleep." The two cats reminisced, leaving the rest of the group to ponder.

Poppypaw sighed. "You saved me from death." She meowed, "thank you."

"Well now that we know you both are so fond of each other can we please get on with our journey?" Willowpaw spat, her eyes not leaving Jaypaw's. Kestrelpaw saw he Moonpool with different eyes, he could see Spottedleaf rising out of it, her tortoiseshell fur consumed in the fog. "You," he said to her, "you're Spottedleaf." Spottedleaf nodded, the rest of the group couldn't see her. Kestrelpaw's eyes had turned a bright green as he watched Spottedleaf.

"Kestrelpaw, you have the power, use it wisely." Spottedleaf told him as she disappeared. The last part of her to disappear was the tip of her tail.

The group of cats looked stunned as Kestrelpaw's eyes came back to normal.

"What just happened?" Breezepaw asked, his tail brushing the cool dirt. Kestrelpaw sighed. "Something extraordinary." He said.

Willowpaw touched her nose to the Moonpool, the soft grass and flowers around it disappeared as she went to sleep. Jaypaw lay beside her, falling asleep the same way. Kestrelpaw took a seat next to the two of them, his eyes firmly planted on the pool. Stormfur looked up the massive mountain they were climbing. His eyes were on the tip of it; he watched the wind blow over the leaves of the trees. "That," he said, "is where I used to live." The two other apprentices, Poppypaw and Breezepaw watched as he pointed out the tribes grounds. That would be their next stop, and by the look of Stormfur's frown, they knew it wasn't going to be pretty. Kestrelpaw closed his green eyes, walking into the Moonpool, no medicine cat had ever attempted what he was about to do.

WillowJay or PoppyJay? You decide!


	4. Stepping into Starclan Part 1

Wow… overwhelmingly Willowjay. I was kinda hoping for PoppyJay, just because I can imagine more happening between them. I see more evidence toward it in the books. But I also find myself drawn to WillowJay, thought I don't know how to incorporate it into the story. I think I'll let the pairing sit for one more chapter. Keep voting!

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Kestrelpaw dove into the cool blue water, using his paws to push it back. His eyes were still a bright green, and he could see a light in the distance. Slowly, he released his breath and closed his eyes.

He opened them to see a cloud, a far off cloud, but a cloud none the less. He swam toward it, his eyes focused on the cloud's gray fluff. As he approached it, he saw the head of leader, a leader he knew as Tallstar. He came closer to the cloud, putting his paw on it to see if it was steady. He could no longer see his group mates, or the top of the pool. He saw his ancestors, and ancestors of cats he knew. He saw familiar faces of cats who had helped him make the journey to the new forest as a kit. He knew he had stepped into Starclan, but he was still alive.

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Poppypaw watched as Jaypaw's breath slowed. Tilting her head to the side, she saw him and Willowpaw sound asleep. She could imagine him mating with Willowpaw, having wonderful kits, like the ones she had always dreamed of having. Jaypaw was the mate she had always wanted. It was unfortunate that he chose the path of a medicine cat, but she respected his decisions. He was a likeable cat, with amazing senses, other than his eyes. He was funny, and nice, and he cared about her. He had saved her once. Saved her from death. She turned to see Willowpaw. All she had done was drag him here, and from the stories she'd heard him tell, Jaypaw didn't like her at all.

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Stormfur sensed Poppypaw's uncertainty, watching her look at Jaypaw and Willowpaw the way she did. He knew that look, and that feeling. The feeling where you want a mate, but you know the cat has already chosen one. He'd had that same feeling traveling with Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight. He wished he could have told her something. As he watched Poppypaw struggle in the same position, he wanted to help her achieve what he hadn't.

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Breezepaw sighed. Boring, sleeping, medicine cats were on he ground by the Moonpool. One of them was stupid enough to dive in. This was going to be a long day. He wished he was at home, doing something useful with his time. He watched Poppypaw and Stormfur talk, but didn't care a thing about what they had to say. He closed his eyes and attempted to sleep through the dull, pointless journey they were making. He wondered what exactly those medicine cats were dreaming about, but then forgot and fell asleep.

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Yeah. That was kind of PoppyJay, but we had to make sure Poppypaw has feelings too. I liked Stormfur's part. And Breezepaw's part was fun to write. Kestrelpaw will have a difficult time ahead of him. POPPYJAY OR WILLOWJAY? HELP ME DECIDE. THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE.


	5. Stepping into Starclan Part 2

Feel the wrath of Breezepaw! LOVE KESTRELPAW! Oh and more PoppyJay fluff. Explanation at the end.

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Breezepaw turned and ran up the hill, knowing that he was near a good hunting spot. He figured he could find something good for the group like mice of vole, maybe even a bird. Watching his feet as he walked, he began to sniff out pray on the mountain. The stiff mountain air clouded his nostrils. This wasn't going to be easy. The trees swayed in the wind as he began to scent a bird. It was a small bird, but it would be enough to fill him. At this rate, he was going to have to catch a lot before returning to camp. He had mouths to feed.

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Willowpaw padded down the hill, her tail up in alert. If Jaypaw could jump into dreams, he would be here for sure. She hoped that Poppypaw hadn't gone to sleep. The two seemed unnaturally close, and she hoped that they wouldn't be all mushy with each other. She couldn't handle that. Besides, medicine cats aren't allowed to mate. She saw Jaypaw in the distance. His head tilted to the side as she approached.

"Where's Kestrelpaw?" he said, his eyes on his paws, "He didn't go to sleep did he?"

"How would you know?" Willowpaw asked, still curious as to why Jaypaw was in her dream.

"I can jump into other cat's dreams, which is why I made a better medicine cat than Hollypaw did." He told her, licking his right paw and stroking his head.

"As far as I can tell, Hollypaw was far more likeable than you, and much more patient. She would have made a great medicine cat in my eyes. Why do you steal the spot from her?" she snapped, turning away, "You could have been with Poppypaw and lived happily ever after with your adorable kits, and yet you chose the life of a medicine cat, taking it from your own sister!"

He stood up, taken back by her words. The sky around him turned grey and dark, and it began to pour rain. Willowpaw was ruining her own dream.

"Hollypaw willingly chose to step down. I took her position, but she is far happier as a warrior."

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With Breezepaw gone, the area was much less tense. Poppypaw sighed and rolled onto her back, staring up at the bright blue sky as she did. The tree beside her gave her a cool breeze as it swayed in the wind. Stormfur turned to her, his eyes showing complete sadness.

"You love Jaypaw, don't you?" He said, watching as she squirmed uneasily.

"W-why would you think that?" She said, rolling over and standing up, so flimsy a strong wind could blow her over.

"The way you looked at him," Stormfur paused, "That's the same way I used to look at his mother, Squirrelflight."

She turned to look at him, clearly interested in what he had to say. "You loved Squirrelflight?"

"Yes, but, like you, I ran into a problem." He said. The wind slowed, as if to listen to is next words.

"Willowpaw is just like Brambleclaw was to me, the better mate. I always used to think he'd be a better mate for Squirrelflight. She was important to me, so I let her go. But I never told her I loved her. I didn't think it was right." He said, watching Poppypaw's face brighten up with delight.

"So are you going to help me? Or are you going to tell me to give up?"

"It's about time one of us did something to make this cause less hopeless." He replied, a smile on his muzzle.

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Kestrelpaw watched the blue furred cat pad toward him. He gazed around in awe. There were so many cats watching him. The blue furred cat touched her nose to his forehead.

"We chose the right cat!" She announced. Turning to the audience she added, "Kestrelpaw's destiny lies in his hands."

He sat as one by one cats he didn't know came to greet him. Tallstar padded toward him, his long tail flowed peacefully beside him. "Kestrelpaw, my grandson, you were the right choice, I always believed in you."

"What am I to do?" Kestrelpaw asked, confused.

"You will see."

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Kestrelpaw has an awesome purpose, and Stormfur is too cool. Now this chapter was also Poppypaw/Jaypaw because you can't make cats fall in and out of love at the drop of a hat (unless you count Sunset, Which was indeed the worst book of the series.) Willowpaw will get more used to Jaypaw, Poppypaw will find someone else. But you won't know who until 2 chapters from now. Muahahahaha!


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